Clinique Teams up With TED to Find the Next Smart Idea to Improve Women's Lives

Like a Shark Tank just for women.

Got an idea you're sure would dominate Shark Tank? What about a Shark Tank just for women...that helped women? Last night around 60 women (and a handful of men—they were few and far between) gathered at 1833 Restaurant, a Monterey, California restaurant to celebrate the launch of a Clinique contest with $20,000 on the line. Created in partnership with TED, the set of conferences that have received over one billion views of its online videos—the contest seeks innovative ideas on how to improve women's lives around the world. And the winner not only gets the prize money but also to come to TEDWomen 2016.

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Outside the restaurant before dinner, Jane Lauder, Clinique's Global Brand President, explained that she considers addressing the concerns that matter most to women to be in the brand's DNA. "When Carol Phillips started Clinique, she had pamphlets at the counter explaining what the pill does to women's skin," she said. The Clinique contest was set in motion last July, when Clinique released Smart Custom Repair serum, an anti-ager touted as being able to selectively target skin issues, which is the first of a new line. When the company started looking for ways to promote it, linking up with TED to create a contest seemed an obvious answer. "Who better to help us come up with another smart idea?" said Lauder.

How to know if you're on to something? "What I've noticed is that when you have a great idea, it's easy to bring to life," says Lauder. "If it doesn't come fast, you know you're struggling." They'll be accepting submissions through September 30, and the winner will be selected in October. Good luck! As they say on Shark Tank, "A goal without a timeline is just a dream."

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